Recovery diver dead, two others injured searching for body - North Carolina

[DiveGusto]

Mission Report and Divers Log should shed some light. If they don't have them then it tells me their dive operation is not up to standards. The initial air pressure of each tank main & pony would be noted and any bottom time adjustments made from that. Should have started with no less than 2700 psi. no more than 15 mins bottom time to come up with 1200 psi in the tank. No deco time necessary only safety stop but not a deal breaker without one. My question is where is the backup regulator kept? Is it on a LGS style necklace under the chin or elsewhere, in any case should be easy reach, that's why you train.
As Andrea states removing FFM should not be a problem just an annoyance. Yes diver should be thinking backup air not the surface. I know because it happened to me on a recovery. It was only in 20 ft but when you are heavy, no air in drysuit and no air to put in bcd try staying on the surface and blow air into your bcd. I was down too long and bells in my head where telling me that but no way to read a gauge because we dive in blackwater. What was most interesting was on my last breath, no warning until it was apparent, some water squirted in around my KM EXO26. I went hmmmm not normal then exhaled, went for a breath nothing to be had. Very different than drills where your tank is turned off. Thinking Oh crap go to pony no big deal wait til I give them some of my mind when I get on the surface, but hey that's why we train. I went for the pony reg but it wasn't there under my chin, now it got interesting. Go for the surface or find the hose/reg, remember I had done a complete exhale. Took awhile but found the reg purged it to make sure it wasn't full of mud from being on the bottom, sweetest air I ever had. Found out the snap buckle had broken and come lose during search, It should have been retired years earlier. Check your gear replace what is worn out and train train train and do it with your eyes closed.

 

[DandyDon]

He was certainly a big guy. From Embolism killed rescue diver in Lake Norman, autopsy shows

Long, who was 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds...

And from Medical Examiner: Drowning listed as cause of death for Lake Norman diver

Authorities said Bradley Long, 28, drowned due to an arterial gas embolism while SCUBA diving.

Major findings at autopsy included heavy lungs, fluid in the sphenoid sinus, an enlarged heart, and air within the right pleural space and heart.

 

[rkinder]

UP DATE

SHERILL’S FORD, NC (WBTV) - The N.C. Department of Labor has fined Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire & Rescue in connection to the death of fallen firefighter Bradley Long, who drowned while searching for a missing swimmer in Lake Norman in June.

"The Labor Department cited Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire & Rescue for two alleged serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina with a total penalty of $5,600," Dept. of Labor officials said in a release Tuesday.

The citation states, in part "in Lake Norman, where, on June 6, 2016, the air supply for two public safety divers was not monitored at intervals adequate to prevent a low or no-air emergency while conducting underwater recovery operations to a depth of 80 feet."

RELATED: Fallen firefighter Bradley Long drowned during June search, officials say

The citation also states that "at least one member of the dive team conducted a recovery dive withBradley Long's family talks about his life and legacy

Long's family sent WBTV a statement about the citation and fines Tuesday.

"We stand 100% behind Sherills Ford fire department and know they have the documents necessary for the appeal process," the family wrote.

In late July, officials said that several agencies, including OSHA, were still investigating Long's death, and that his dive equipment was sent to experts.

Major Poteat said he believes it was standard gear and would show how much air was left, but that Long ran out before resurfacing. He would not speculate on why Long ran out of air.

Long and two other firefighters went into the water to search for a 29-year-old man who jumped off a boat and didn't make it out of the water.

RELATED: Firefighter, two divers experienced emergency underwater

Officials said early on that Long and the firefighters experienced an "emergency" in 35 to 75 feet of water, close to where the swimmer went missing. Two divers came out of the water, Long did not, officials said.

"A rescue effort was implemented and when they reached him he had already succumb to his injuries," Catawba County Emergency Management said in June. The two other firefighters went to Regional Medical Center with minor injuries.

Long worked at the Newton Fire Department and was a volunteer with Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue, where he had been a member for 12 years. He was working with Sherrills Ford during the search.

 

[boulderjohn]

This part of the report was apparently accidentally omitted above:

The citation also states that "at least one member of the dive team conducted a recovery dive with the body recovery bag and search rope bag attached to his rig setup, creating an entanglement hazard," and "at least one diver failed to perform and document an equipment check prior to conducting underwater recovery operations to a depth of 80 feet."

It states that during the operation, one diver "was not equipped with a self-contained breathing (redundant) air supply capable of providing enough air for egress in the event of a primary air supply failure."​

 

[rkinder]

Glad you added that last part, sorry I missed it. This incident shows the need to carry sufficient redundant air, properly performing pre dive checks, emergency air drills, the need to constantly dive and train to levels equal to and preferably beyond what any team member would encounter as part of a normal mission. Time in the water makes you a better diver.